Oberleutnant Hammel Kurt
© Dan & Nick’s Collaborative Experten Biographies
[photo credits | Traces of War]
Oberleutnant Kurt Hammel achieved twenty air victories during WWII, of which three were four engined bombers….
Kurt Hammel was stationed at Banak (Lakselv) with JG5/4. Staffel from 21.06.1941 and until 30.07.1943. It means he left Banak eleven days after he shot down the three Ilyushin Il-4 aircraft at Magerøya. Hammel was flying the Messerschmitt Bf 109. (Under Scrutiny)…
On 7th December 1941, he is thought to have been the pilot of Bf109E-7 0003579 White 7 of JG77 which was damaged in a forced landing near Alakurrti. He was unharmed.
On 28th December 1941, he again escaped injury when the same aircraft, Me109E-7 0003579 White 7 of JG77 was destroyed in an accident during taxiing at Kestenga airfield.
This same aircraft was previously flown by aces Lt. Friedrich Geishardt and Fähnrich Hans-Joachim Marseille…
History of 1939 MESSERSCHMITT 109 E1
W.Nr 3579
• Built by Messerschmitt contractor Arado GmbH at Warnemünde, June 1939
• Early 1940, upgraded to an E-4
• April 1940, listed with LG2 at Westerland, coded ‘White 14’ Pilot Lt. Friedrich Geishardt
• July 1940, moved to a new base at Calais-Marck, France
• On 10 August, Fähnrich (Kadette Officer) Hans-Joachim Marseille joined I(J)/LG2. On one of his first combat missions on 24 August he claimed his first victory, a Spitfire. A week later on 2 September, 3579 was being flown by Marseille in combat over Southern England where he claimed his second victory.
We do know that Marseille undertook two operations on this day. During the second, LG2 were over Sheerness in combat with Spitfires of 74 Sqn. It was during one of these engagements that 3579 was damaged and so Marseille headed back towards the French coast.
At Calais-Marck, Marseille’s belly landing was severe enough that 3579 was classed as 50% damaged.
• Aircraft recovered by the Bergebattalion and transported to the Erla factory at Antwerp for repair, after which it was issued to JG77
• 7th December 1941, 3579 20% damaged near its base of Alakurtti, Russia with JG77
• 14th January 1942, 3579 arrives at Brinker Eisenwerke, Oslo-Kjeller for repair work and upgrades
• 29th April 1942, work completed and 3579 shipped to Norway
• Returned to its unit, now re-named JG5, aircraft now marked ‘White 7’
• 2nd August 1942, while being flown by Lt Kurt Hammel, 3579 damaged in combat and forcelanded on the front line. Classified a 100% loss, but reclassified 30% but was not recovered.
• Summer 1992, 3579 was discovered by the Russian Aircraft Recovery Group and transported to Moscow
• September 1992, 3579 purchased by Charleston Aviation for a full rebuild to flying condition
• 29th September 1999, first flight after a six year rebuild. Aircraft operated by D.G. Price, Museum of Flying, California
• 2003, sold to the Ed Russell Aviation Group, Ontario, Canada
• November 2014, 3579 sold to current owner for display and exhibition in the UK
Hammels’ Career:
21st June 1941 – 30th July 1943:
4.Staffel, I. / Jagdgeschwader 5;
15th August 1943 – 10th May 1944:
8.Staffel, III. / Jagdgeschwader 27;
18th May 1944 – 8th May 1945:
3.Staffel, I. / Jagdgeschwader 77.
Promotions:
1st July 1943: Oberleutnant.
Kurt Hammels’ Official Claims….
Claims Verification Research by
Nick Hector
30.8.41/1500
Hudson
SW of Lister
320 (free-Dutch) sqn. 3 losses: V9063/NO-M of F/O W Bakker and one other POW, remaining 3 crewmen all KIA; V9065/NO-R of F/O H C Prager and crew all KIA, and T9380/NO-H of S/Lt S Hendrik-Jansen and crew all KIA
(at least one other claim, by Flamm)
16.10.41/1716
Beaufort I
SW of Egersund
L9939/AW-W of 42 sqn. P/O G S Turner and crew all KIA
17.2.42/1530
2 x Hurricanes
Alakurtti
760 IAP. St.Lt. Petr Zverintsev, Ml.Lt. Pavel Dubovskiy and Starshina S S Vavilov all KIA, Ml.Lt. Fedor Bobrovnik safe
19.7.42/1810
3 x IL-4s
Sarnes/Honnigsvaag
35 MTAP. 3 losses plus one damaged. Includes 7520 of St.Lt. Aleksander A Dolinov and one other POW, remaining two crewmen both KIA; crews of Kapian P P Tkachev plus St.Lt. S E Chetverikov
2.8.42/1500
Hurricane
Pontsalenjoki
760 IAP/VVS 26th Army. Possibly doubling up on Serzhant Boris A Myasnikov KIA (attributed to Tretter)
2.10.43/1720
Beaufort
E Coast of Crete (PQ PO) @ 10m
DAF/Malta Strike Wing. Details pending
18.10.43/1120
Beaufighter
SW of Castelrosso @ 30m
JM249 of 46 sqn. F/O J S Holland (American) rescued, Sgt. H E Bruck KIA
28.10.43/1433
A30A Baltimore IV (“Maryland”)
S of Chalkis Isle (W of Rhodes) @ 30m
Losses include 41-28241/FA659, MIA on anti-shipping sweep
(versus 3 claims)
19.3.44/1415
B-24 Liberator
between Marburg and Agram (Zagreb area) @ 6000m
450th BG lost B-24H-15-FO 42-52613
454th BG lost B-24H-1-DT 41-28659, B-24H-10-CF 41-29310, B-24H-10-FOs 42-52125, 42-52225 and 42-52229, B-24H-10-CF 42-64459
455th BG lost B-24H-10-CF 41-29296 of 742nd BS
456th BG lost B-24H-15-FO 42-52330 of 745th BS
Further details pending
2.4.44
B-24 Liberator
50km NW of Obdach @ 6000m
455th BG lost B-24H-10-CF 41-29282 and B-24H-10-FO 42-52271, lost over Austria plus B-24H-15-CF 41-29407, lost over Yugoslavia
456th BG lost B-24H-10-FO 42-52276
459th BG lost 41-28716
461st BG lost B-24H-15-CF 41-29336 over Yugoslavia this day plus B-24H-5-CFs 41-29244 and 41-29245
Further details pending
13.4.44
B-24 Liberator
10km ESE of Raab (Gyoer)
15th AAF. Day’s losses include B-24H-10-DT 41-28675 of 459th BG and B-24H-15-DTs 41-28811 and 41-28873 of 454th BG (all lost over Hungary)
27.5.44/0645
P-47 Thunderbolt
PQ 2372 @ 4000m
12th AAF, details pending
21.4.45
La-5
Details pending
2.5.45
La-5
Possibly Kapitan Nikolai Dmitrievich Dugin of 402 IAP? – WIA and flew back to his airfield where he died
Victory Listing:
With 4. / Jagdgeschwader 5:
1. 30th August 1941: Lockheed Hudson, 05.15u;
2. 16th October 1941: Bristol Beaufort, 17.16u;
3. 3rd December 1941: Ratta;
4. 17th February 1941: Hawker Hurricane;
5. 17th February 1941: Hawker Hurricane;
6. 16th March 1942: Hawker Hurricane;
7. May 1942: Petliakow Pe-2;
8. June 1942: Douglas DB IIIF;
9. June 1942: Douglas DB IIIF;
10. June 1942: Douglas DB IIIF;
11: 2nd August 1942: Hawker Hurricane;
With 8. / Jagdgeschwader 27:
12: 2nd October 1943: Bristol Beaufort, 17.20u
13. 18th October 1943: Bristol Beaufighter, 11.20u;
14. 28th October 1943: Maryland, 14.33;
15. 19th March 1944: Consolidated B-24, 14.15;
16. 2nd April 1944: Consolidated B-24, 10.42u;
17. 13th April 1944: Consolidated B-24;
With 3. / Jagdgeschwader 77:
18. 27th May 1944: Republic P-47, 06.45u;
19. 21st April 1945: Lavoschkin La-5;
20. 2nd May 1945: Lavoschkin La-5;
Awards:
Flugzeugführerabzeichen
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier
Awarded on:
September 23rd, 1940
Document number 43219/40
Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant)
Unit:
Flugzeugführer 4. / I. / Jagdgeschwader 5
Awarded on:
September 19th, 1941
Frontflugspange für Jäger in Gold
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant)
Unit:
Flugzeugführer 4. / I. / Jagdgeschwader 5
Awarded on:
January 20th, 1942
Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant)
Unit:
Flugzeugführer 4. / I. / Jagdgeschwader 5
Awarded on:
February 17th, 1942
Medaille “Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42” (Ostmedaille)
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant)
Unit:
Flugzeugführer 4. / I. / Jagdgeschwader 5
Awarded on:
November 15th, 1942
Luftwaffe Ehrenpokale für besondere Leistungen im Luftkrieg
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant)
Unit:
Flugzeugführer 3. / I. / Jagdgeschwader 77
Awarded on:
July 26th, 1944
Verwundetenabzeichen 1939 in Schwarz
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant)
Unit:
Flugzeugführer 3. / I. / Jagdgeschwader 77
Awarded on:
July 1944
Frontflugspange für Jäger in Gold mit Anhänger
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant)
Unit:
Flugzeugführer 3. / I. / Jagdgeschwader 77
Awarded on:
March 1945
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owners © Dan & Nick’s Collaborative Experten Biographies.
AWG Team would like to thank Dan Case & Nick Hector for their contribution and continuous support for our Project.
More Biographies from Dan Case and Nick Hector | ‘Dan & Nicks’ Luftwaffe Aces’ Biographies/Claims Vault’.